Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-10-30

trains were damned ana the roao plOCAou,
and many spent the whole night in the
cars. Others got out and walked, and they
reached home first.
But riflemen would not be discouraged
by this alone. Other more serious
matters arose, such as obstacles put In the
way of introducing Improvements, the
making of restrictive regulations and the
like. These might be credited to nothing
mere than had judgment on the part of the
management, but when costly rifles were
surreptitiously ruined by putting screw
drivers into the bores and twisting them
around, or by shooting nails through
them. the owners of the guns began to lose
confidence in Creedmore as result for
gentlemen. Then the authenticity of GER
tain mems scores began to be questioned,
and it was agreed among many OF those
who shot for love of the sport that in the
hands of some men the lead pencil was
mightier than the rifle. Wherefore they
turned their backs upon Creedmoor and
left it to few mug-hunters aud the Ma
tional guard. The latter continue to shoot
there because they are ordered to and
haven't any choice.
There was q time when a man could
not get through the gates Of Creedmoor
without a ticket. Now the gate is left
wide open. When got there nobody
stopped me at the gate to ask for ticket or
money. If remember right, the gate
was taken away altogether. l walked in
and went to the hotel. A boy was sitting
on the piazza l wanted bite to eat and
went into the lunch room. Nobody there
l found Il man in the kitchen and got a
sandwich from him. Then I walked ont
to the old lODg-range firing point. Not a
soul there. Eight or ten men were down
at the 50O-yard range, and / went there.
They were all in uniform except two, and
one of those was a militia officer and the
other a reporter from Massachusetts.
Three men were lying upon the
ground shooting. Of the others, two were
scorers; one was watching the targets
through telescope, and the rest were
officers detailed to boss the job. One of
the shooters was the executive officer who
had charge of all the matches. There
wasn't enough going on to keep him busy,
and he was driving away ennui by shoot
ing gun in pool match. Then saw a
man in fatigue uniform, who looked as
though he were fatigned too, coming down
the range. He was dragging a little cart
behind him, and in the cart were his rifle,
ammunition case, cleaning tools and all
the little things that marksman finds
handy. He went toward the quarters OF
the statistical officer, aud rs it was lone
some at the 50O-yard range | followed
L. L.. ,,f
the few Old-timers who have not
become entirely discouraged. | don't
suppose he would have been there il he
hadn't wanted to try some experiments
with a new rifle. II was one he had
made himself and the simplicity Of its
action was admirable. Improvements in
rifles are being made all the time, and the
tendency everywhere is to small bOres
In Europe the armies are being equipped
with 32.calibre repeaters OF tremendous
power and range. but New York State
clings to its clumsy 5O-calibre single
leaders, and the regular army il kept pack
ing the old latch black converted musket
around and swearing that it is the greatest
gun ever invented. If CreedmoOr were
what it used to he you would see some Of
the crack shots experimenting with the
new rifles and ammunition that are revO.
lutiOnizing infantry ornaments in the old
world.
"As followed the man with the cart
heard the fierce scream OF the bullets
rushing through the air. The music
sounded familiar, but / missed the
"chug" of lead Ou iron plates. They were
using canvas targets, and that was about
the only improvement l saw. Canvas is
better than iron for several reasons.
There is no splashing of lead on canvas,
and if the marker happens to have his
trap up he runs no risk of having an
eye put out by flying fragments. The
bullet goes through, leaving a mark no
bigger than itself. On an iron plate the
twice its originul diameter, and shot
that would not cut within quarter of
an inch Of the black count 50 bullseye by
the splash. The canvas target makes scor-
ing finer, and the shooting must be better
TO equal scores made on the iron plates 81
went way over to the the short range,
where | saw some men under tent. They
were revolver shooters tTying to make
scores in gale of wind. The association
had included revolver match in the
events of the meeting, but apparently had
not recognized the growing popularity of
practice with the smlll arm and had done
very little to encourage it. The prizes
were no attraction, and the men who
had taken the trouble to travel
over a Long Island railroad and
spend day at Crecdmoor Just to encour-
age revolver practice and show the aSsoci.
alton that its slight recognition of their ia.
vorite sport was appreciated. They were
not after prizes at all. 1t was an encour-
aging sign, though fear the kick that
subsequently ensued over some palpa.
bly, crooked scoring may keep the revol-
yer shooters away next year. The only
hope for the place is in reorganization
of the association that controls it. An
international match would revive interest,
but the rifle men on the other side are
not so well pleased with their former ex-
perienCes that they will be likely to come
over here again to shoot at CreedmoOr. If
a reform is not achieved soon, another
range may he opened at more accessible
point, and then the men who love to shoot
a rifle will come to the front and in the de-
cline of CreedmOOr the sport will itself
find its place where it belongs among the
most fascinating and scsentifC Of recrea-
tons.
TWISTING THE PROBE.